Currently serving as the Josey Regental Chair in Science at the University of Texas, Dr. Steven Weinberg is the first ever Nobel Prize Winner to speak at the SXSW Interactive Festival. He gained that honor in 1979 for his contributions with Abdus Salam and Sheldon Glashow to the unification of the weak force and electromagnetic interaction between elementary particles. More recently, Weinberg received the Benjamin Franklin Medal of the American Philosophical Society in 2004. This medal came with a citation that said he is "considered by many to be the preeminent theoretical physicist alive in the world today."

Watch his fascinating talk “Toward the Unification of Physics” from the 2013 SXSW Interactive Festival by clicking on the video below. Weinberg’s appearance reflects an increased emphasis on science in March in Austin, a trend kickstarted at SXSW 2011 with a brilliant presentation by Dr. Craig Venter. To browse the science-related content at the 2014 SXSW Interactive Festival (including the Monday, March 10 keynote by longtime STEM-advocate Adam Savage), click here. More science-related content will be announced on Tuesday, November 12 when we announce more programming for the 2014 event.